170 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
coal, &c, which causes them to go on with 
greater vigour. 
Spinach. — Sow often, and thin it well ; it 
is commonly sown between the rows of Peas, 
but this is in many respects objectionable, 
although in some places necessary from a 
scarcity of ground. 
Tomatoes should now be sown in a hot-bed, 
and well forwarded in pots before being 
planted against a wall ; this is important in 
growing these successfully. 
Turnips. — The main crops of turnips, say 
the Dutch and Stone, can be put in towards 
the end of the month, or beginning of May ; 
sow in damp weather, and let the ground be 
well wrought ; thin out with a hoe, as being 
more expeditious and effective ; protect all 
from the ravages of birds, &c. : the seeds of 
all the Brassica tribe are especially subject to 
these attacks. 
Vegetable Marrow. — Sow a few of this de- 
licious vegetable in hot-beds to plant out on 
ridges, in the same way as ridge Cucumbers. 
General Remarks. — If the weather 
prove dry, it is well to water the ground for 
such crops as Peas and Beans before planting, 
covering them up with the dry soil to prevent 
evaporation. Plants, too, which have to be 
transplanted should have their roots puddled 
and watered when planted. It is a good plan 
to tread in the seeds if the ground is not wet, 
and to prick and plant out early. 
CUCUMBER AND MELON FRAMES. 
Cucumbers. — Sow seeds to raise a few suc- 
cessional plants; they are often found use- 
ful. A light or two may be planted out for 
succession, or when none have yet been 
planted it may now be done. Plants that are 
" ridged" out, and are growing freely, must 
be stopped rigidly, or the frames get full of 
useless vine. Refer to former directions. 
Sow seeds of the hardy ridge Cucumbers, for 
planting out in May, under hand-glasses. 
Melons. — Sow the main bulk of Melons. 
These require a rich, rather strong, loamy soil, 
and a day temperature of from 70 to 80 degs. 
to grow in ; at night 60 or 65 degs. is suffi- 
cient : water them pretty freely until the 
fruit blossoms are produced, then decrease a 
little ; do not water over the plants, but on 
the soil, and around the sides of the frame. 
One plant is enough for a light ; take two 
leading shoots in opposite directions from each 
plant, and stop them when they have run the 
width of the light ; the laterals from these 
shoots must be trained in an opposite direc- 
tion, and will bear the crop : do not let one or 
two fruit set before there is a crop all over the 
plant ; when they are set, stop the shoots a 
joint or two beyond each ; none of these 
branches should be allowed to carry more than 
one fruit, and five or six fruit, on an average, 
to a plant is an abundant crop : size — all 
other conditions being equal — will depend on 
the number produced by the plant. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
It may be presumed from the earliness of 
the season that all the operations here, will be 
much advanced. The general principle of 
keeping the ground clean and open will be 
found of the utmost consequence. 
Apples. — A sharp look-out must be kept 
for the caterpillar, which, from the mildness of 
the winter, may be expected to be plentiful ; 
probably to gather them with the hand, if they 
are observed in time, may be the most effec- 
tual way of keeping them down. Great atten- 
tion should be paid to the thinning of the fruit 
of the apple ; the result would be fruit of a 
superior description. 
Apricots. — Protect by netting, which will 
both keep them later and ward off frosts. 
Great attention must be paid to the disbud- 
ding, making it as a rule that the foreright and 
all buds be taken away, excepting the leader 
and the bud near the base on the upper side 
of the shoot: a few spurs may be also left; 
and lay in the wood from four to six inches 
apart ; the shoots can be stopped when it is 
wanted to fill up a vacant space. The quan- 
tity of fruit left must be determined by the 
state of the tree. 
Clierries. — Care must be taken to protect 
the blossoms. Thinning the fruit should be 
attended to ; and the trees must be smoked on 
the first appearance of green-fly. 
Figs will now be clear of the winter cover- 
ing, but it will be well to have it not far 
removed, as cold weather may yet give them 
a severe check. 
Gooseberries and Currants. — Caterpillars 
must be here attentively looked after ; shaking 
the bushes, and destroying them with lime- 
water, and also syringing with the same, or 
with any water in which alkalies have been 
steeped, is recommended if done early. Thin- 
ning the fruit, which is intended for dessert, 
should not be overlooked. 
Grafting. — This may still be effected if the 
scions have been kept back. 
Mulching and Staking newly - planted 
trees must not be omitted, especially if they 
are planted shallow. 
Pears. — The finer sorts in particular are 
much improved by being disbudded and dis- 
blossomed, and by having the fruit thinned. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Protect by 
spruce-boughs or oil-cloth in the evenings ; 
before the leaves expand it will be of benefit 
to wash them with soap-water and sulphur, 
applied by the engine. Should green-fly ap- 
pear, a decoction, well squeezed, of the peach 
